


A Night to Remember

by rednight16



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: AU, F/M, Fem!Keith, Fluff, Shiro Birthday Exchange 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-25 07:08:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13829070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rednight16/pseuds/rednight16
Summary: A ball thrown in honor of his birthday promises to be no different from any of the others that Shiro has attended, up until someone new walks into the room.





	A Night to Remember

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a gift for drawn-with-passion on Tumblr for their Cendrillon AU! I had a lot of fun writing this as I adored this au, so I hope you enjoy it! I also highly recommend anyone who has not seen the video to go watch it as it's very, very good:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghNfEyCY-hQ

If you had told Shiro yesterday that he would be thoroughly enjoying himself at the ball being held for his birthday, he wouldn’t have believed you. While the castle looked incredible, with twinkling decorations hung across the expansive ballroom, and all the guests were milling about in their finest formal wear, Shiro normally found himself bored after only a few hours, unable to leave due to his duties but also beginning to grow tired of mingling with the various guests. His usual reprieve was finding one of the other Paladins, though Lance was mostly off with his own conquests. But tonight was different. Tonight, he hadn’t thought about looking for the others at all.

The lady had caught his eye as soon as she walked into the ballroom, long black hair pinned back from her face to show off bright violet eyes that pulled Shiro in instantly. He found himself making his way towards her without thinking, pausing before her with a bright smile. Her dress stood out from any other in the room, the red accents contrasting with the pure white to steal the attention of anyone near. She was beautiful, and Shiro was enraptured.

He had asked for a dance, and to his delight she had accepted easily. Shiro couldn’t help but be grateful that Coran had persuaded him to practice yet again the night before, as they glided across the ballroom floor. His smile grew wider if possible when a smile began to appear on her own face, and her laughter as Shiro spun them in a tight circle made his heart skip. He was barely aware of the other dancers around them, only enough to make sure that they did not bump into anyone else as they moved. He did not know how much time passed while they were dancing, and for once he found that he didn’t care. Her hand was warm in his grasp despite the gloves they both wore, and Shiro found himself reluctant to leave the floor as the lively music began to dwindle into softer tones.

But that did not mean there was nothing else to do. His companion was intelligent and quick-witted, and it did not take Shiro long after their conversation had begun to realize this. Offering his arm, they walked through the gardens for some time, and he found himself seeking her smiles and laughter even more now that he was discovering what drew them out. They paused to sit on one of the large marble benches in the middle of the garden, enjoying the peaceful night air and the quiet that came with it. Glancing over, Shiro noticed a pensive look on her face, as if a thought had just struck her as they were sitting. He reached out to brush a lock of her hair away from her eyes, smiling softly. “Are you alright?”

She looked up, a soft blush on her cheeks as her smile began to return. “Yes, I’m alright. You don’t have to worry about me.”

Shiro hummed, reaching out carefully to touch her hand in a soothing gesture. “I just wanted to make sure. You looked like you were thinking hard.”

She looked a little embarrassed at that, and Shiro quickly moved to correct himself. “Not that that’s a bad thing! I just would hate to see you upset.”

Her blush increased if possible, and she ducked her head to let her hair cover her eyes. “I’m not upset, I promise. You’re very kind.”

Shiro grinned, but before he could respond he heard a voice calling his name. A moment later, Pidge poked her head around one of the bushes. “Sorry to interrupt. Shiro, they need you back at the Castle for cake.”

Shiro nodded, letting out a soft breath before standing and offering the lady his hand. “Are you ready? You won’t want to miss the cake, Hunk is the best cook in the kingdom.”

She smiled wider, accepting his hand and standing. “We wouldn’t want to miss that.”

They headed inside, though they didn’t hurry. Shiro didn’t want to waste a single moment of time, savoring the light touches and small glances as they came. When they did make it back into the ballroom, Shiro led them both towards the large table where the cake was resting, having to reel in his impatience. The large, tiered cake looked absolutely delicious, and Shiro already knew that Hunk had made it in his favorite flavors.

Allura stepped up then for a quick speech, and from the telling looks she was sending Shiro she was purposely making it quick. He’d have to thank her later for that. But there was still the horribly embarrassing singing to get through, and when it started he couldn’t help ducking his head just a little. Glancing over, he found the lady watching him while hiding her laughter with her hand. A smile fought its way back onto his face with little effort, and he gave her hand a quick squeeze as applause concluded the moment.

Hunk came up to him first, holding two plates of cake with a smile. “Birthday boy first! I hope you like it, Shiro.”

Shiro smiled, accepting the cake eagerly. “You know I will, I look forward to this every year.” He’d noticed that Hunk had been holding two different flavors when he walked over, and when he glanced over he confirmed it. Turning back to his own cake, he debated for a moment. Would it be too much too soon? She’d been open to the affection he’d given so far, after all…

But there was a chance he’d regret it if he didn’t at least try. So, summing up his courage, Shiro cut a small piece of his slice off with his fork and held it up. “Would you like to try?”

Her eyes snapped to his before drifting to the cake, and he could see the moment of indecision. “I- But that’s your cake.”

He smiled lightly, hoping his nervousness wasn’t showing. “Yes, but you don’t have the same flavor. It’d be a shame if you didn’t get to try at least one more.”

Her face softened slowly, faint color rushing back to her cheeks as she nodded. “As long as you’re sure.” When Shiro didn’t pull away, she stepped a bit closer and let him feed her the small sliver of cake balanced on his fork.

Shiro felt his own cheeks heat up, and his smile turned slightly shy. He watched her face light up, his heart fluttering in his chest at how happy she looked. Shiro was so caught up in the rush of emotions that it took a moment for him to realize she was speaking, holding up a piece of her own cake to him. “Do you want to try this one?”

Shiro smiled, nodding and leaning forward to accept the piece of cake she was offering him. The cake was incredible as usual, but Shiro enjoyed the happy expression on his lady’s face far more. He had had quite a few birthdays as a Paladin, each of them enjoyable in their own way, but this one was far more special. This one he would happily remember above any other.


End file.
